H D - S E N S E I

A view on
Hi-def
DVDs by Gary W. Tooze

Introduction:
Hello, fellow Beavers! I have been interested in film
since I viewed a Chaplin festival on PBS when I was
around 9 years old. I credit DVD with expanding my
horizons to fill an almost ravenous desire to seek out
new film experiences. I currently own approximately 7500
DVDs and have reviewed over 3000 myself. I appreciate my
discussion Listserv for furthering my film
education and inspiring me to continue running DVDBeaver.
Plus a healthy thanks to those who donate and use our
Amazon links.

Although I never wanted to become one of those guys who
focused 'too much' on image and sound quality - I
find HD is swiftly pushing me in that direction. So be
it, but film will always be my first love and I list my
favorites on the old YMdb site now accessible
HERE.

Co-Writer/Director Stephen Chow (Kung
Fu Hustle,
Shaolin Soccer) stars as Ti, a poor but loving
father who works such long hours that he barely has any
time to spend with his young son. Unable to afford the
latest toy his boy desperately wants, Ti instead brings
home a mysterious 'pet' he finds at a local junkyard.
When the cuddly creature turns out to be a fun-loving
extraterrestrial able to perform miraculous deeds, both
father and son are about to learn some important lessons
that change their lives in this delightful
science-fiction fantasy for the whole family...

****

The Film:

"CJ7" offers a mixed
assortment of "messages" for
children. On one hand, it seeks
to show that poverty is nothing
to be ashamed of and that
integrity and forgiveness are
more worthwhile values than
competition or class status.
(The greedy villain is a kid
Dicky's age who proclaims his
entrepreneurial lust for global
domination to the entire
schoolroom.)

Chow's movie does not seem to be
a cynical marketing tool.
However, the moment retail and
fast-food outlets start pushing
their own CJ7 toys made of
potentially toxic materials, all
its moral lessons will be
rendered moot, and the movie
will seem as crass and venal as
"Mac and Me." Also, Dicky's dad
really shouldn't have pushed his
son into a small wooden box and
then locked him in there.

But for those who are struggling
with the consequences of their
seemingly uncontrollable
emotions, "CJ7" presents
an illustration of why you
should never say things you
don't mean, even when you lose
your temper. This is a fable of
forgiveness and regeneration,
but it delves into a child's
deepest, darkest fears.
Fortunately, things turn out OK
in the end.

Firstly, there is a Honk Kong
Blu-ray
of CJ7 available
HERE and I am unsure of the differences although suspect
the video transfer to be the same but there are no supplements
on the HK
Blu-ray
release. This appears to be region-free and therefore will
be accessible on
Blu-ray
players world-wide.

Although technically single-layered, I thought the image quality
was exceptionally strong. Sharp detail and colors look
well-rendered to 1080P using the
MPEG-4 AVC encode. The feature is bright, skin tones true,
background noise is 'reasonable' and I can't really find any
strong complaints with the way this
Blu-ray
looks. I don't see evidence of any DNR filters although possibly
some edge enhancement may be visible in a one or two scenes.
Overall, I was very pleased with the
Blu-ray
presentation of CJ7. I hope the large screen grabs can
bear this opinion out.

Screen Captures

CLICK EACH BLU-RAY
CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION

Audio: There are three strong lossless TrueHD 5.1 tracks offered -
original Mandarin and DUBs in English and French - plus two more Dolby
Digital 5.1 DUBs - in Cantonese and Thai. As I'm not a fan of DUBs, and
I only briefly tested the English, French, Cantonese and Thai.
Comparatively the lossless tracks had the expected punch and cleanliness
of sonic bass and pitch. The film is no action thriller but does have
infrequent use for surround speakers and the separation seemed quite
deft and buoyant when called upon. Bottom line is that I
doubt any fans will be disappointed in the audio of this
Blu-ray. There are a host of optional
subtitles
available including English and English SDH.

Extras:

The supplements seem to mimic the SD
edition with a laid back, fun commentary from, Chow and cast plus some
featurettes showing behind the scenes shooting as well as younger adult
related presentations. Subtitles are also available for the extra
features in English and French. They are under an hour but some may find
them worth exploring - especially if you enjoyed the film.

Extras

BOTTOM LINE: Very warm and it's nice to see another side of Chow from
the usual zany antics we see in his films. I was very touched by many of
the scenes supported well by the strong performances. Chow shows he can
produce wonderful results when he is also creating in a more controlled
milleue. This is
a super family film and this
Blu-ray is only the definitive way to see
it your home - with many touting the image over their theatrical
viewing. I thought it was a well crafted story with some uniqueness and
being a parent I could relate to some of the topics broached. As long as
you aren't expecting the energy of
Kung Fu Hustle, I expect many will also enjoy the experience and
hopefully be as impressed by the
Blu-ray as I was.